Chapter 116: The Bloodshed in Sand City

After residing in Star-Gazing Valley for several days, Chen Mu bade farewell to the acquaintances he had made there. He placed Chen Haoran and Chen Feng inside the "Dwelling of Immortals," a spatial artifact he had seized from the Seven Stars Pavilion, and set off toward the Eastern Wilderness in search of the so-called Path of Immortality.

The shortest route required passing through the Desert Sands Empire, making it a considerable journey. From Star-Gazing Valley, he traveled beyond the passes and then flew eastward on his steed, the Brown-Feathered Griffin. It took a full month to finally reach the borders of the Desert Sands Empire.

After landing outside the border of the Desert Sands Empire and stowing his griffin into a spirit beast bracelet, Chen Mu entered the checkpoint alone. Lacking official identification and clearly appearing to be an outsider, he tipped the border guards generously and fabricated a false identity to ensure a smooth entry into the city.

The soldiers were delighted by Chen Mu’s generosity. Seeing that his cultivation was not apparent, they assumed he was someone who had never truly practiced, likely the scion of a wealthy merchant family visiting the empire to scout for business opportunities. Of course, the fact that his aura remained hidden was entirely due to the masking effects of the Phantom Concealment Technique. While his strength at the peak of the Origin Foundation Realm was nothing to those of higher standing, it was already extraordinary compared to the common soldiers or even disciples of major sects. After all, they had never even heard of a fifteen-year-old at the peak of the Origin Foundation Realm, let alone seen one.

Chen Mu knew that if these soldiers discovered his formidable cultivation, they would surely suspect him of being a spy from an enemy nation, which would inevitably invite unnecessary trouble. Although he could easily walk through the Desert Sands Empire unimpeded, he chose to pose as a low-level merchant’s son to avoid wasting time.

The environment of the Desert Sands Empire was harsh. The city was desolate, vegetation was scarce, and the sand, whipped up by constant winds, stung his face. Chen Mu bought some scarves and protective gear from a local merchant, who, seeing he was a foreigner, ruthlessly overcharged him. Chen Mu did not mind; he had plenty of money and saw no reason to waste time on such trifles.

However, his display of wealth attracted the malice of others. Many had witnessed his transaction with the merchant, and while he had not been overtly extravagant, his clear affluence drew greedy eyes. After he left the shop, a dozen men began to tail him, planning to kill him in a secluded area and divide his belongings.

Chen Mu naturally sensed he was being followed. He initially wondered if his identity had been exposed, but upon sensing the cultivation of his pursuers, he could only smile bitterly. Most were in the Origin Pulse Realm and had clearly never undergone systematic training. They were less like cultivators and more like ordinary people; though they possessed the ability to cultivate, the lack of resources, poverty, and the absence of guidance or masters left them stuck as half-baked beginners in the early stages of the Origin Pulse Realm.

These men were in their twenties or thirties. To be stuck at such a low level at their age suggested that the Desert Sands Empire simply abandoned those with mediocre talent, leaving them to fend for themselves without any resources. The precious resources were undoubtedly hoarded by the powerful, trickling down only to those with exceptional aptitude. Those without connections or talent had no hope of continuing their cultivation. If they were in the Great Xia or Nine Nether Empires, they could at least have joined a sect and become inner disciples, perhaps even rising to the rank of elder if they reached the Origin Core Realm.

Chen Mu had no interest in the internal affairs of the Desert Sands Empire; his goal was the Path of Immortality, and he wanted no entanglements. Realizing they were after his wealth, he sneered. If they were looking for death, he would oblige them.

He continued eastward, intending to traverse the city. In this desolate place, the streets were mostly empty, and the dozen men, unable to restrain their greed any longer, prepared to strike. As they charged toward him with malicious intent, seeking to tear him apart, Chen Mu sighed and turned around, watching them with cold eyes.

The men were startled by his turn, but seeing that he was only a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy, their expressions turned savage again. How could a mere youth resist so many of them?

Chen Mu looked at their excited, greedy gazes with indifference. He summoned his Scarlet Sun Sword and swept it across in a single stroke, instantly severing the heads of the dozen men. After the deed, he continued walking toward the city exit as if nothing had happened.

Although few were on the streets—most people remained indoors to avoid the sand—a handful of onlookers witnessed the slaughter and scrambled toward the guards, believing the local authorities needed to maintain order. When the soldiers heard of a killing, their first instinct was that it was another dispute between small factions over resources—a common occurrence they usually ignored. But when they learned that a single person had killed over a dozen men with one sword strike, they realized they were dealing with a formidable expert.

If they could recruit such a person, their superiors would surely reward them handsomely. However, by the time they reached the scene, Chen Mu had long since departed, leaving only headless corpses behind. The soldiers questioned the witnesses, trying to ascertain his appearance and age.

After verifying that no experts from the city's major factions matched the description, they concluded he was either from another city or had come from beyond the passes. Recalling the report from the border guards about an uncommonly wealthy youth arriving alone from the outside, the officer in charge grew suspicious. How could a mere youth travel through the dangerous lands beyond the passes, filled with beasts and bandits, and survive? The officer concluded that Chen Mu's cultivation must be unfathomable.

He immediately reported this to his superiors. An expert of this caliber entering the empire could be a spy, especially given the current tensions following the Desert Sands Empire’s defeat by the Great Xia Empire. Chen Mu’s likeness was sketched based on the witnesses' descriptions and circulated to the soldiers of all major cities. They did not issue a public warrant for fear of alarming him until they could uncover his true identity, especially since the empire had fewer than two Origin Infant Realm experts, one of whom was not even loyal to them.

They also noticed a striking resemblance between this youth and the portraits of Chen Mu circulating from the Great Xia Empire. If it truly were him, they knew the Desert Sands Empire would face disaster. Wherever Chen Mu went, chaos followed, and with his current level of cultivation, they were powerless to stop him.

Unaware that his identity had been all but confirmed, Chen Mu continued his journey. While the empire feared him, he had no intention of causing them harm; his sole objective was the Path of Immortality. If he had known how much fear he inspired in the high command, he would only have felt innocent.

Along the way, he observed that the factions of the Desert Sands Empire were locked in a cycle of mutual plunder. Resources were scarce, water and mines were controlled by the powerful, and the common people lived in utter misery. As long as they did not bother him, he would leave them be; if they did, he would not hesitate to paint the ground with their blood.

After passing two more towns, he noticed that the guards grew solemn and seemingly fearful upon seeing him. They kept their distance, shadowing his movements but never intervening. Chen Mu sighed, realizing his identity had clearly been exposed. As long as they did not obstruct his path, he cared little for the attitude of the Desert Sands Empire.